Tombstone epitaph., 1887-09-03
A CUBAN DUEL.

s.s. sSs A CUBAN DUEL.
 2 made my initial appearance on the field of honor in Havana few days since as second to a bowling Cuban swell. It was a duel that set the queen of the An titles agog. On Sunday night there was music in the park, and after dinner an English lord, a Chicago gambler and were strolling tranquilly along in the starlight when magnificently appointed victoria rose up and man whom we all knew jumped out.
 q was at your hotel" !" he said, raising his hat amiably, "but you had out gone, and so I come here" "Hawr' said the Englishman, fixing his giass in his eye and beaming through It upon the young Cuban, "I'm shuah we're always glad to see you-indeed, we-ah- we are vawstly indebted to you already for so many agreeable attsntions"- ssIndeed," said the Cuban, with depre- catory wave of the hand, 'it is that am complimented by meeting men of the world" The gambler nodded to him sagely, and patted his shoulder with thin, white hand, on which glittered diamond as big as an acorn. Having passed creditably through the complimentary stage Of the conyersatiou-an absolute necessity ln the tropics-we wandered over to the big Louvre cafe Here the Cuban told us of Q masked ball that was on that night. AS near as we could make out it was sort of half way respectable dance, where one might expect to meet almost anything. There was always more or less mystery in our talk, as the Cuban spoke very little English. He, however, knew some Ger man-the gambler knew the tongue we'll and was admirable in French. The Brit ish nobleman's knowledge of the language of tho merry Gaul was on the same ec- centric scale as my own, and we all knew little Spanish. The talk was commonly, therefore, touching mixture of French, Spanish, German and English.
 "And I rawther like it, too, dye know'' the Englishman remarked that night. "I-ah-nevah really understand what people are talking about in my own tongue, and I'm quite shuah no one has the slightest idea what-ah-what hap pen to be prating about, though we all keep up such tremendous seeming, you know. This way it doesn't make"--
 There was a sudden movement in the crowd, a chair was overturned and fell with a crash on the floor, and the Cuban ct DIT table sprang to his feet and glared saya gely at sallow faced man who stood twenty feet away with his blazing eyes fixed on the Cuban's face. Neither man moved. The space between them was cleared instantly, and every man in the - room was on his feet except the nobleman, the gambler and myself.
 oSc t3 Ho ohnofint " VnnffarQ0 the Chicago man softly.
 sLooks that way" said the English. = man laconically, as he turned his hand. some and imperturbable face more toward the stranger When the Cuban jumped to bis feet his hand fell mechanically on my shoulder, and his grip frightened as he stared at his foe till I thought his nails would bore through my coat Thus he stood for awhile, and then the statuesque man across the room was surrounded by his friends and hurried out. He went with his face turned toward us to the last It was a brutal face. The Cuban sank 1T his seat and lighted Q cigarette, the wait CTS moved alertly about and rubbed my shoulder gently.
 Are v armed, m sonr' asked thu gambler in his soothing voice as he lait his hand on the young fellows knee.
 "No, else kill him as he stand"
 "Well, we'll just g over with you t your house till you get in shape, seeS don't know much, you unerstan', but come from corner O the airth wher' men take care O themselves, an know th, look of a man that'll shoot. If tha white livered snipe gets the drop on you yer gone"
 "Good," said the boy-he was but 21- sT will go arm myself, but go alone else seem coward. Will join you her again"
 We nodded and he left us, while tn gambler watched him closely. Then tn Chicago man twisted about in his seat lighted a cigar nervously, moved his bi diamond ring once or twice on his thil finger, and said in his peculiar, insinuat ing voice: hims''
 We nodded again and he slid out of tn door and moved hurriedly across to tn park in tho direction taken by the youn Cuban. The Englishman pulled himsel together and told me of the trouble bt tween our Cuban friend and the salloV faced man who had glared at him in sue g theatrical manner.
 "Tnat chap" said the lord, with a no toward the p!ace where tho sallow face man had stood, lis ono of the best swords r ! in iIsvana. He is tho head of a far l. t.aa'a very well Enown here, and he 1aH11s q number of duels both in Pari Ms id srd ct home. He has surly di poHaon, out his skill with the pistol ar foil h,5 made him moro or less famous end lo is Q good deal of local hero. | is consumptive end booked for the 'vo, eye' within few years, anyhow, an that seeuls to have made him recklcs His trouble with our friend Tomaso hel is Of less than five hours standing. The were playing ecarte after breakfast t day; there was some dispute, and the b( hero threw the cards in the duelist's fac heard of it all in the clubs this afte noon while you were asleep. Several
 Tomaso's friends have tried to get Iii away, but the boy has the right spiri and he's a good deal more of an Angl S .ou than most of the people here.
 T. CT think that is the reason that f Jwed us to the park tonight, and
 w certainly the reason that was gl; to so him when he told me so. His cou tly nen are very excitable and he is gift, wirL good deal of coolness. I suppo
 b, finds us the same way. cannot s
 that am particularly gratifled with t
 turn affairs have taken, though, for
 rather thought that one of the three of
 was booked when that big eyed fire eat
 stood glaring at us."
 We smoked on tranquilly, waiting t
 return of Tomaso. do not think eith
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